It is interesting to note the legal and scientific objections of four university professors to the recently announced carbon emission reduction targets.

It builds on the criticism of the Climate Change Advisory Council chair, Marie Donnelly. It is clear nobody is happy with the outcome, farmers or academics working in this space.

While everyone welcomed the intention of the Government to create a numerical target it is clear farmers are not clear on what will happen next and we see the academic arm pushing back against the Government.

The language used is strong – “the numbers given in the Government announcement are not sectoral emissions ceilings in themselves, they are not meaningfully equivalent to such ceilings through any process of determinate calculation.”

Nitrates rules may lead to suckler cuts

Last week our coverage on the impact of the carbon reduction targets suggested the political soundings of no mandatory livestock cull were wrong as every new scheme and initiative were aimed at reducing Irish livestock numbers.

This week Aidan Brennan looks in detail at how one of those initiatives, the new nitrates rules, and what they will mean for 5,000 plus dairy farmers who will be in the market looking for land or reducing livestock.

This competition for land will mean further pressure on all farmers to hold on to land parcels so the impact might actually flow out of dairy into a direct impact on drystock farms. In reality the financial power of the dairy enterprise might see further suckler reductions.

Chinese investment

It is interesting to note the ongoing significant investment in the Chinese dairy industry in China and indeed in other parts of the world.

Given the complete restructuring of the pig industry in China, other sectors are on high alert to try and foresee any potential investments that can change the dial on Chinese food demand overnight. The growth and development of Chinese dairy companies is evident again this week. Yili, which owns Westland in New Zealand, opened a new 42,000t butter plant this week.

The same Chinese dairy company also unveiled plans to develop a mega dairy processing cheese plant, research and visitor centre in Inner Mongolia. Meanwhile, India plans to develop five new milk processing sites across India in the next two years. Neither country can grow feed for livestock like Ireland can and farmers here are directed to reduce livestock.